


In His Shoes

by CycloneRachel



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: (not sorry), (or schott as it were), Bittersweet, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Goodbyes, I know I've written things like this before, Sharing Clothes, Short One Shot, but it's canon now so I had to take another shot at it, inspired by 4x01, takes place during 3x23
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-08-02 10:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16303052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CycloneRachel/pseuds/CycloneRachel
Summary: In which a gift is given, and advice is exchanged.





	In His Shoes

“Brainy!”

“Yes?”

Winn smiles, as he walks up to him. “Just the person- or, um, AI- alien- whatever. I’m glad to see you.”

“You are?”

Brainy’s confusion brings Winn back from the excitement he’s been experiencing, about the prospect of going to other planets, actually exploring space. Getting a super-suit of his own, maybe, that would give him a fighting chance against any number of criminals. Making new suits for the Legion, because he has some choice words about the uniforms he’s already seen, and not all of them are complimentary. It’s all he’s dreamed of, watching sci-fi movies to distract himself from his reality and imagining himself as the heroes of those stories.

Except this is his reality now, and he’s still terrified.

Just as he’d been before, when Brainy first told him about his mission (should he choose to accept it) and he imagined himself floating out in space, all alone, with a bigger and more evil copy of Brainy himself laughing in the distance.

(okay, maybe his day-nightmares weren’t the most realistic. But then again, he didn’t have the most information, so he could forgive himself for his imagination running away from him a little- or a lot)

Winn shakes his head, remembering Brainy’s still in front of him.

“Sorry.” He says. “Yeah, I am. Because, well… this time, I have a gift for you.”

“Oh. Really.”

“I’m being serious.” Winn answers, lightly taking hold of Brainy’s arm. “Come on. Let me show you something.”

“Very well. But, for your information, if you have placed any amount of dirt from this century on my bed, I will-“

“It’s not that!”

Brainy relaxes, just a little, as he’s only eliminated one possibility.

“Then, in that case, I cannot wait any longer. Lead on.”

Winn nods, and he pulls him along, as Brainy follows.

~  
“This is my new room?”

It’s a bigger space than Brainy expected, but there’s still not much in it. Then again, he’s not used to much, especially traveling on the Legion cruiser as he so often does.

But there’s an outfit, lying on his bed, and as Brainy picks each article of clothing up it occurs to him what it is. A red cardigan, plaid shirt, grayish-brown pants.   
Shoes that he doesn’t have a word for, but that he knows he’s seen Winn wearing.

“Yeah. And, um…”

Winn’s voice is quiet, as Brainy gathers everything up, and almost pushes the outfit back to him.

“These are your clothes.” He says. “I can’t… I won’t- that is to say, I am not certain they will fit me.”

He looks Brainy over, smiling sadly as he does so, and gives the outfit back to him.

“They will.” Winn answers. “Trust me. Maybe not immediately, but… you’ll fit right in, promise.”

Brainy looks at him uneasily.

“I will fit… into your clothes.” He says. “That is what we are referring to, correct?”

Winn nods.

“Yeah.”

“Well, in that case, I suppose an exchange is in order.” Brainy answers. “And I give you permission to wear any of my clothes while in the thirty-first century. But no, as you would say, ‘souvenirs’. I will know.”

Winn gives him an amused look.

“I get it.” He says. “But, I also promise that I’ll do my best to fill your shoes, just as you will mine.”

Brainy looks back down at the outfit, as Winn laughs again.

“…Another expression.”

“Yeah. But, in this case, it’s more literal.”

“Indeed.” Brainy says. He pauses, looking at Winn cautiously, before proceeding.

“And, um… I hope you’ll forgive me for how long it took to realize this. Normally, I am quicker with these things.”

“Yes, I know.” Winn answers. “And?”

“And… I will miss you.”

Winn doesn’t need any elaboration, or prompt to embrace him, before he does so, Brainy eagerly accepting in return.

“I’ll miss you too. And I promise, I’ll tell your friends you weren’t as much of a pain to me as you really were.”

Brainy rolls his eyes, though he knows Winn can’t see them.

“It is alright, Winslow.” He answers. “They will know that’s a lie.”

“In that case, I’ll tell them the truth.” Winn says, pulling back, adopting Brainy’s upside-down triangle pose with his hands. “That you were a true friend to me, and bravely decided to maroon yourself in the past for the purpose of self-protection, while still allowing for the future to be saved from your extremely distant, evil relative.”

Winn’s back to his usual self, then, becoming more relaxed almost instantly.

“How was that?” he asks. “I’ve been practicing.”

Brainy tilts his head to the side, playing it back in his mind as he looks at him.

“I believe you will have it soon.” He says. “But, a very good effort.”

“Does that reflect on everything I’ve done?”

Brainy gives him a genuine, warm smile, as he looks him in the eyes.

“Yes. But there is always room for improvement.”


End file.
